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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Criminology in California

14 Ranked Colleges
1,459 Degrees Awarded
$31,800 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 11,039 people earned their degree in criminology, making the major the 80th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, criminology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,568 and had an average of $24,453 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,459 criminology graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,821 and $20,932 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminology. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their criminology program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California”.

Top 14 Most Focused Colleges for Criminology in California

1

Out of the 14 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 404 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at California State University - Fresno

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Marcos. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 266 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at CSUSM

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 498 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine Criminology Report

4
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Lutheran University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California. CLU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Thousand Oaks, California. It awarded 53 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at California Lutheran University

5
HNU crest
Holy Names University
Oakland, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Holy Names University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California list. Holy Names University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Criminology at HNU

6
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 21 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Mount Saint Mary’s University Criminology Report

7
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 49 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Humboldt State University Criminology Report

8
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California list. Located in La Verne, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 57 diplomas to qualified ’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of La Verne Criminology Report

9
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California list. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 21 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at Azusa Pacific

10
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

With a ranking of #10, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California list. This small school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 10 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at Fresno Pacific University

11

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 48 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Criminology Report

12
Alliant crest
Alliant International University
San Diego, California

Alliant International University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California ranking. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 5 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at Alliant

13
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 12 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Criminology at San Jose State

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminology Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 7 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at San Diego State University

Notes and References

References

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